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Two more Australian men have been added to this month’s US Open field in New York.
Curtis Luck and Matt Jones were notified of their inclusion today, bringing to nine the total number of Aussies to tee it up at Winged Foot in Mamaroneck from 17-20 September.
They will join compatriots Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith, Jason Day, Lucas Herbert, Scott Hend and amateur Lukas Michel in the rescheduled second major championship of the disjointed 2020 calendar.
The final members of the 144-strong field will be determined after this week’s US PGA Tour Championship, but because of the global pandemic, it will not feature qualifiers as normal, only players “exempt” by specific categories.
Luck, 24, was added to the field courtesy of his win in the recent Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship that put him in the top five of the Korn Ferry Tour finals rankings completed on Monday.
It will be the West Australian’s first US Open after he forewent the 2017 edition to turn professional, thereby giving up the status he’d earnt with his victory at the previous year’s US Amateur.
The 2020 tournament will be Jones’ fifth tilt at a US Open crown and third in succession, but he’s yet to make a cut in the event regarded as the toughest annually.
Shooting 30-over for four rounds and finishing dead last in the second of the PGA TOUR FedExCup Playoffs events doesn’t jar like it could when you have been through what Marc Leishman has.
“It’s a whole lot better than sitting next to your wife in an intensive care unit waiting for her to die.”
The Victorian is just one of two Australians who have advanced to the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta this week – the other being Sony Open champion Cameron Smith – but would need a stunning form reversal to become the first Aussie to claim the FedEx Cup.
In seven events since the resumption post the COVID-19 suspension Leishman’s best finish is a tie for 40th at the Memorial Tournament and it was a struggle again at the BMW Championship where Olympia Fields Country Club kept all but seven players over par.
Starting with a 10-over 80 on day one, Leishman was a further 17-over for the following two rounds before salvaging a semblance of positivity with a final round of 3-over 73, hopeful that better ball-striking and improved relationship with his putter can carry into the Tour Championship.
And if it doesn’t, Leishman has more than enough perspective to know that bad golf is not the worst life can get.
The 36-year-old keeps a photo on his phone of wife Audrey taken when recovery appeared unlikely. On life support five years ago fighting off sepsis, she was given little chance of survival.
It’s a photo that Leishman couldn’t bring himself to take just a day earlier, such was the grim and heartbreaking image that faced him.
“I couldn’t take it because I thought, If she dies, I don’t want to remember her like this,” Leishman revealed.
“She looked worse the day before in the picture that I didn’t take than the next day.
“The next day she actually looked a little bit like herself when I took the photo but the day before she looked like a balloon.”
Which is why the affable Aussie can find positives in such challenging times as a professional.
“It’s a tough game. We all know that. Take the good with the bad,” Leishman told PGA TOUR media following his final round.
“This is why you celebrate your wins so hard because you’re going to have times like this. You hope you don’t, but it’s a hard game and you’ve got to take the good with the bad.
“I’m going through a rough patch at the minute but hoping to turn that around next week for sure.
“When you’re playing like this, it’s pretty easy to get down on yourself. I won’t say I haven’t got down on myself a few times, but at the end of the day it’s golf.
“If this is the worst thing that’s ever going to happen to me in my life, I’ll be all right.
“It’s a bad few weeks – few months, whatever it might be – but I’ve been through a lot worse than this off the course.
“I’m still in the TOUR Championship. If I have a good week next week, a lot can happen. That’s what I’m aiming for.”
On the course, Leishman hopes to use a layout more accommodating to his preferred shot-shape off the tee to deliver a career-best performance at East Lake.
The Warrnambool native has qualified for the 30-man field four times since 2009 with a best finish of 21st two years ago.
“Today was a little better but still not where I want to be. Baby steps. Just got to get back to where I was,” said Leishman, who will begin the Tour Championship nine shots adrift of FedEx Cup leader Dustin Johnson.
“Could be I found something with my putting today, which was good. I struck it a lot better. Next week I’ll be able to hit some more drivers, which will be good, and I like the greens there next week.
“(Olympia Fields) is a tough golf course. Didn’t set up great for me. A few too many trees on the left there off the holes you’ve got to hit drivers.
“There’s a lot of 2-irons for me on holes where I would like to hit driver but I couldn’t because I fade it.
“I haven’t played well on that course (East Lake) either, but I feel like I’m due there. Things are starting to turn around with how it went today.”
Cameron Smith guaranteed his spot at the Tour Championship with a final round of 69 to finish tied 20th at Olympia Fields while Adam Scott missed out, a final round of 5-over 75 resulting in a fall of 22 places on the final leaderboard.
Tiger Woods is Jason Day’s new swing coach. Kind of.
One of only three Australian players to ascend to No.1 in the world rankings, Day is eyeing off a return to those lofty heights without the assistance of his long-time coach and mentor Colin Swatton.
Top 10 in four of his past five starts, Day enters this week’s BMW Championship ranked 35th in the world and 50th in the FedExCup and in need of another strong finish to push his way into the top 30 who will contest the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
Not since a troubled teen found solace in the resident golf coach at Hills International College has Day managed his golf swing without Swatton’s assistance but he has recently turned to the man who inspired his dream to play professional golf for some expert advice.
Like Day, Woods has ongoing back issues that need constant physical therapy and an accommodating golf swing that he is self-managing. As such, the 35-year-old Queenslander believes that right now the 15-time major champion has insights that can help.
“It’s just really difficult for me to at least go around and talk to any coaches or the potential of having a coach but I actually have been talking to Tiger about his swing and what he’s been through,” said Day.
“I think he has the best swing out there in regards to especially the iron swing. It’s amazing.
“He’s gone through some back issues and I think he’s doing a lot of good things to try and alleviate his pain, obviously what he’s going through right now in regards to his back.
“I just feel like I’ve asked questions and he’s willing to answer them and I’m trying to make changes right now in my swing.
“I’ve asked Tiger about certain things in his swing. Obviously I’m still playing against Tiger but he’s very open to me about the golf swing because of the specific questions that I’ve tried to ask him, like trying to get back into your right hip on the backswing which will tidy up certain things in the golf swing that I’m trying to work on, and then a few more questions in there.
“But I am trying to take a little bit more ownership in my golf swing.”
Five years ago a win at the BMW Championship was the culmination of an extraordinary run of form that saw Day win four of six events – including his lone major championship triumph at the 2015 US PGA Championship at Whistling Straits – and didn’t finish worse than 12th in nine straight tournaments.
Save for his missed cut a week ago at The Northern Trust in Boston, Day has shown a return to that type of consistency to rise 28 spots in the rankings in the space of five events but is determined to play his way into the Tour Championship after falling short a year ago.
“I’ve always kind of wanted to put myself in the top 30 and try and give myself at shot at winning the FedEx Cup,” said Day, one of four Australians who will contest the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Chicago.
“The last two seasons have been a little bit disappointing but the good thing is that I’m playing a lot better now leading into this week.
“I feel like the game is in a good spot. The great thing about this week is there’s no cut so you don’t have to worry about that.
“Obviously if you’re playing good golf you never worry about it but it’s always great to get four rounds under your belt and know that even if you do get off to kind of a rough start you can get yourself back into the tournament.
“I’m looking forward to this week.”
A fast-track to the Championship Final and the opportunity to become an ambassador decked out in Callaway equipment and Adidas apparel are just two reasons why there has never been a better time to host a Volkswagen Scramble local event.
With Regional Finals of the 2019/2020 season still ongoing, the 2020/2021 Volkswagen Scramble season officially got underway on August 1 and already clubs are reporting significant increases in participation compared to recent seasons.
Golf’s ability to largely continue throughout the COVID-19 pandemic has brought former golfers back to the fold and encouraged new players to try their hand at the game, the format of the Volkswagen Scramble proving appealing to newcomers and experienced campaigners alike.
A prolific host of Volkswagen Scramble events, Tropics Golf Club in Townsville has staged one of five Scrambles they intend to conduct this season and are already seeing an influx of new participants.
“One of our members, Chris Webster, entered a team with three of the star representative indoor cricket players from up this way,” said Tropics Golf Club General Manager and PGA Professional Matt Duke.
“Like many sports they have been unable to play indoor cricket during this time so they decided to join the golf club. We have had quite a few new members join from other sports and the Volkswagen Scramble was a great chance to play as a team in a fun but competitive environment.
“The numbers of people playing the past few months has been fantastic and I’ve got no doubt we will see that reflected in the remaining Scrambles we’ll be hosting the rest of the season.”
Another club quick to get their Volkswagen Scramble season underway was Port Macquarie Golf Club on the New South Wales mid north coast.
PGA Professional James Single has been hosting local events at Port Macquarie since 2014 and now has his best chance to see a team progress to the Championship Final.
In previous years Port Macquarie has not reached the required number of players to qualify three teams for the Regional Final but the upsurge in golf interest and a format change will see four Port Macquarie teams advance to the next stage.
“We normally always play in groups of eight under a shotgun start and it has worked well in the past,” Single said.
“This year we decided to try a two-tee start and we were able to fit way more players on the course and the speed of play was the same.
“Previously we have never been able to reach the entry numbers where the top three teams go away to the Regional Final but this year we had 212 entries and will be sending four teams through next year.”
The winning team from Port Macquarie are also in the running now to skip the Regional Final completely and advance straight to the Championship Final.
For the first time in the 29-year history of the Volkswagen Scramble, every event that runs before December 31 goes into the draw to fast-track to the Championship Final, with one lucky team skipping the Regional Finals and going straight to the all-expenses paid decider.
Individuals also have extra incentive to play in as many Scrambles as possible with every entry to put you into the draw to become the Volkswagen Scramble Ambassador and receive Callaway equipment and Adidas apparel worth $7,000.
“Planning events has obviously been difficult in 2020 but the new season of the Volkswagen Scramble is a great way for clubs to bring people together safely,” said PGA of Australia Events Manager Louise Meagher.
“The indications from the early events that have already been held is that we are headed for record participation numbers and there is no reason why clubs can’t host multiple events over the course of the season.
“Tropics Golf Club is planning to host five local events this season; it would be great to see other clubs try to match that number.
“We’ve seen an influx of new players come to golf in the past few months and what better way to ensure we keep them by playing as part of a Volkswagen Scramble team.”
The 2020/2021 season of the Volkswagen Scramble runs from August 1 until March 8, 2021. To enter a team at a local event or host a Scramble event visit www.vwscramble.com.au.
Not even a career-low round by Victorian David McKenzie was enough to upstage Champions Tour debutant Phil Mickelson who rattled off five-straight birdies on his way to the opening round lead at the Charles Schwab Series at Ozarks National.
Runner-up at the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational just a month ago and still ranked No.54 in the world, Mickelson wasted no time in turning his attention to the over-50s circuit after his PGA TOUR season came to a close with a missed cut at The Northern Trust.
Mickelson turned 50 on June 16 and made an immediate impression amongst the Champions Tour elite in a rare Monday start, starting his five-hole birdie run at the par-4 13th and taking sole possession of the lead at 10-under with a sublime tee shot at the short par-3 17th.
Earlier he had birdied four of his first five holes to burst out of the blocks as he set about surpassing the 9-under par round of 62 posted earlier by McKenzie.
On fire. ?
— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 24, 2020
David McKenzie breezes through the first round with a bogey-free 62. pic.twitter.com/VVSRRMtt7t
It was a continuation of the form resurgence McKenzie displayed in shooting 65 in the final round of the Charles Schwab Series at Bass Pro Shops Big Cedar Lodge to finish tied for 11th and established a new career low.
“I don’t think I’ve shot 10 (under) in a tournament round. I’ve shot 10 in other rounds, but not in a tournament round,” McKenzie explained post-round.
“If I wanted to find another couple, I probably could, but that would be a little bit greedy.
“I’ll take 62, it’s a nice start and see where we go.
“It has a little bit of a feel like Australia. Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw designed it so I just like the way that it sits and feels. It’s a really comfortable sort of golf course.”
If there was excitement amongst commentators and fans about Mickelson joining the seniors, his peers know that he will bring a new level of showmanship to the Champions Tour.
“It’s exciting for all the tour,” said McKenzie.
“Anytime you can have someone who’s still competitive on the main tour as Phil is, it’s always fun to see how he comes out and goes and see how you compete against him.”
As you would expect of such a low score the statistical analysis of McKenzie’s round makes for very pleasant reading.
He missed just one green in regulation all day and needed just 27 putts, his round transformed from good to great with a run of three straight birdies from the 14th hole.
McKenzie wasn’t the only high-flying Aussie on day one with Rod Pampling posting 7-under 64 to sit three shots behind Mickelson, the highlight of his round a run of three consecutive birdies from the third hole.
West Australian Stephen Leaney is the only other Aussie in the field this week and began his tournament with a 1-under 70.
A viewing of the epic 2016 Open Championship duel between Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson will form part of Hannah Green’s preparation to add a second major championship at the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon starting Thursday evening.
Australia’s most recent major winner is one of nine Aussies in the field including rising amateur star Gabi Ruffels who only two weeks ago mounted a stirring defence of the US Women’s Amateur title she won in 2019.
Tied for 16th in her first start outside of Australia at last week’s Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, Green will lean on one of the great final rounds of major championship golf and her own family Scottish heritage to add to her Women’s PGA Championship win at Hazeltine National last June.
Four years ago Stenson and Mickelson staged a two-man exhibition of supreme shotmaking in the game’s most storied event, their duel drawing immediate comparisons with that of Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson at Turnberry in 1977.
With difficult weather conditions expected this week Green and the rest of the field may struggle to match the 63 shot by Stenson on that Sunday but the West Australian believes there is something to be gained from revisiting how they played that day.
“I’m going to re-watch the official film for the 2016 Open,” Green said in her pre-tournament press conference.
“Give me a bit of good memories, I guess, from seeing Henrik playing so well.
“Hopefully I can make some of my own history here, too.”
Although her playing history is limited Green does have links to Scotland through her mother Sue.
Sue’s family hails from Fraserburgh four hours north of Troon and although none will be able to attend in this COVID-19-affected season Green still feels as though she has strong connection to the Scottish links.
“It’s definitely been the major that I’ve always wanted to win, being so close to home with my Scottish heritage. I hope that one day I’ll be able to lift the trophy and make Scotland proud,” said Green, who was tied for 16th at the 2019 Women’s Open at Woburn Golf Club near London.
“I have been up there to visit my family. They did come and watch me last year and a lot more family were planning on coming this year before COVID.
“I haven’t had the opportunity to play lots of golf courses here. I was fortunate enough last year that I got to play St Andrews but I had not actually been to this side of Scotland.
“I am really excited to be here. I feel like I do have somewhat of an idea of links golf. I am from Perth where it does get windy, but probably not the same scene as Troon without trees and whatnot.
“But I’m really excited to be here and I think that will definitely help me when I’m out there and practise in some tricky conditions.
“Just got to see the brighter side of things and just think what an amazing venue.”
Despite her impressive amateur pedigree Green was something of a shock winner of the Women’s PGA Championship last year but backed it up with a second LPGA Tour title at the Portland Classic to show it was no fluke and instil a sense of confidence few players can claim.
“It’s definitely a huge difference. Winning KPMG as well as Portland last year, it’s given me somewhat of confidence even when I’m not playing my best.
“But there are so many holes to play. You can have a great round the first couple rounds but you’ve got to keep grinding and keep staying in it, and that’s what I did both times.
“Hopefully I can get off to a good start because it is going to be tough. There are going to be players that are going to slowly get better as the rounds get on.
“I’m hoping I can have some good consistent rounds and just keep in it.”
Round 1 tee times (AEST)
AIG Women’s Open
Royal Troon, Troon, Scotland
4.58pm Minjee Lee, Azahara Munoz, Amy Yang
5.20pm Hannah Green, Esther Henseleit, Brittany Altomare
6.20pm Sarah Jane Smith, Cristie Kerr, In Gee Chun
6.31pm Gabi Ruffels (a), Catriona Matthew, Angela Stanford
6.53pm Sarah Kemp, Manon De Roey, Andrea Lee
7.26pm Steph Kyriacou, Caroline Inglis, Felicity Johnson
8.32pm Whitney Hillier, Maria Torres, Charlotte Thompson
9.05pm Su Oh, Morgan Pressel, Carlota Ciganda
9.27pm Lydia Ko, Danielle Kang, Yu Liu
11pm Katherine Kirk, Jasmine Suwannapura, Sandra Gal
Defending champion: Hinako Shibuno
Past Aussie champions: Corinne Dibnah (1988), Karen Lunn (1993), Karrie Webb (1995, 1997, 2002)
Top Aussie prediction: Minjee Lee
TV schedule: Live 7.30pm-10.30pm Thursday on Fox Sports 503, Live 12am-3am Friday on Fox Sports 507; Live 7.30pm-10.30pm Friday on Fox Sports 503, Live 12am-3am Saturday on Fox Sports 507; Live 11pm-4am Saturday on Fox Sports 503; Live 10pm-3am Sunday on Fox Sports 507.
Queensland’s Aaron Pike has claimed a convincing three-stroke victory at the Southport Pro-Am as the PGA Pro-Am Series swing continues in the sunshine state.
Teeing off in the afternoon amongst a field of 47 Professionals, Pike’s bogey-free round of 6-under 65 was a welcome confidence boost after a break from tournament golf.
“Whilst it is disappointing not to be playing in the UK this year it was great to get back out and play some competitive golf again,” said Pike, who qualified for the 2020 British Open with a T3 finish at the 2019 Australian Open.
“I am looking forward to the next stretch of events up north and getting some consistent results under my belt.”
Terrific course conditions aided low scoring for the morning field where 2019 PGA Tour of Australasia Tour School graduate Hyunsik Kong and Sunshine Coast local Charlie Dann posted rounds of 3-under 68.
The pair was later joined by Tim Hart for a share of second place.
Jarrod Stirling and Shae Wools-Cobb posted rounds of 2-under 69 to tie for fifth place.
The PGA Pro-Am Series now moves to Pioneer Valley Golf Club for the De Goey Contractors Pioneer Valley Pro-Am, the first event of the Onsite Rental Group Mining Towns Series.
To view the full Southport Pro-Am leaderboard click here.
Victorian golf might be bruised, but its spirit remains as strong as ever.
The 2020 Victorian Golf Industry Awards have, sadly, become a victim of the pandemic.
But the great on-course feats of the past year, plus all the achievements behind the scenes still deserve to be recognised.
So it’s with great pleasure that the PGA of Australia Victorian Division, Golf Australia Victoria and Golf Management Victoria provide an overview of golf across the state from the past year.
The presentation recognises a range of amateur, professional and open events, along with PGA trainees graduating to full vocational membership of the PGA and up-and-coming juniors.
We also acknowledge two Victorian Golf Hall of Fame members who sadly passed away earlier this year in Tom Crow and Michael Wolveridge.
We hope you enjoy the memories from the past 12 months.
View the presentation below:
The 2020 Victorian Golf Industry Awards have, sadly, become a victim of the pandemic.
— PGA of Australia (@PGAofAustralia) August 13, 2020
But together with @GolfAust Victoria & @GolfmanagementA Victoria we would like to celebrate the great on-course feats of the past year, plus all the achievements behind the scenes ?️♂️#PGAProud pic.twitter.com/xa4GVryomY
Excel spreadsheet formulas, membership applications and weekly newsletters.
When Heath Streat progressed from a junior member into a PGA Trainee at Southern Golf Club these were not the duties associated with being a PGA Professional.
Three years ago, Heath and Box Hill Golf Club General Manager Russell Donovan reviewed Heath’s current Director of Golf role and expanded it to Director of Golf, Membership and Communication, Streat is proving again that a PGA Professional’s influence knows no bounds.
After an initial closure due to COVID-19, Box Hill has received in excess of 150 membership enquiries in the last three months. With limited capacity on timesheets under previous COVID-19 restrictions and a second closure now in place under stage 4, there are now wait lists for most membership categories.
“The comment that was made in our last match committee meeting was that five years ago we would loved to have had this problem,” explains Streat, who first came to Box Hill from Southern as Director of Golf in 2009.
“In a funny way it reflects well on the club – we’re so popular we’ve had to put you on a waiting list – but we’d much rather have those people who want to join now out on the golf course playing.”
So how did a club in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs with more than a century of history behind it embrace a new way of operating to put it in a position of strength that is the envy of many?
Membership applications are historically sterile, administrative duties.
Fill in a form, somehow find two seconders within the club’s existing membership and pay the joining fee.
Don’t call us, we’ll call you.
When Box Hill Golf Club’s membership coordinator retired in 2017 Heath Streat saw an opportunity to do things a little differently.
Heath and Russell approached the Board of Directors to absorb the membership coordinator duties into his existing role.
Russell was already considering a similar suggestion, the pair agreeing to an incentive-scheme that would reward Heath not only for converting new enquiries into paying members but maintaining the ones that the club already possessed.
“One of the really big KPIs built into our agreement is member retention,” Heath says.
“It’s not simply a matter of me saying that we achieved 120 new members.
“In the year just passed, our attrition rate for sub renewals was 5.8 per cent, which is really low.
“That is because every quarter I run a report.”
Accessing data through Microsoft Excel formulas is a far cry from changing grips or fitting clubs yet it has been crucial in Heath regularly hitting his membership targets.
“I work on 24 rounds of golf a year being the break-even point in terms of value for a lot of people,” he explains.
“Anyone playing less than that pro-rata each time I run the report receives an e-mail saying that we have noticed they haven’t been playing as much and whether they are happy with their time at the golf club. Phone calls are also made.
“The feedback that we get is that they really appreciate the fact that we’ve noticed that they haven’t been there and touch base to make sure that they’re OK.
“Accessing that information means that we know exactly who is under-utilising their membership and we therefore put them in an at-risk category. Otherwise you’re guessing.
“I’ve got data that tells me that they have played only four times in the past three months and we need to touch base.”
By bringing new members directly through the front door of the pro shop, Heath and the rest of the Box Hill Golf Club staff establish mutually beneficial relationships from the opening conversation.
Heath and the pro shop staff speak the language of golf that gives prospective members the information base that they crave when making such a decision and builds a level of trust that they have immediate access to expert advice.
Coaching opportunities, equipment offers and otherwise unknown member benefits are all outlined before they have spent a dollar.
“I had one guy tell me that he joined the club because I gave him a beer,” says Heath.
“I have no doubt it was more than that, that was merely the icing on the cake.
“This club welcomed me in, bought me a beer and made me feel comfortable. That’s what I want from a golf club.
“Perception is everything. Yes we are a private golf club – we have standards, we have everything that goes with that – but we would like you to join us and experience it.
“We have a public bistro that was doing 1,000 meals a week prior to coronavirus. We let them know as a member they can bring the family down and even if the bistro is booked out, they can ask for a table on the members’ side, which they wouldn’t have been aware of.
“We’re not too strict on the parameters around having a potential member play golf.
“If they are of good ability or have a GolfLink number we do try to have that trial round on a comp day where I ask a member to host them for the day. Give them a feel of the culture of the place, what the membership type is like, buy the group a round of drinks after the round.
“That brings them into the clubhouse to get a feel of the place and the culture but also makes them feel welcome.”
There’s a third element to Heath’s role at Box Hill that has taken on extra significance since the COVID-19 pandemic caused serious disruptions to operations at Victorian golf clubs in particular.
Immediately following the initial forced closures of clubs the Box Hill Board of Directors rang each member individually to inform of them of the impacts and then Heath provided weekly updates and pieces of content to keep the membership engaged.
He leaned on friends such as former PGA TOUR players Scott Gardiner and James Nitties to provide video tips as well as renowned mental performance coach Jamie Glazier.
There were regular updates on the construction of the new 16th tee and other course works, all designed to keep members connected to the club even when they couldn’t be there physically.
“Every time I asked someone to do a video for me, it started with ‘Hey Box Hill members’. It was a personalised message to our membership from someone with a certain status within the game,” adds Heath.
“Golf movies to watch, golf books to read, heaps of stuff where it was far more interactive than simply reading a PDF.
“We rebuilt the 16th tee during lockdown and sent through photos to members of that progress over the weeks.
“They saw that while they were still paying their fees but unable to play golf, when they return the greens will be pure because we cored them straight away.
“With all of the work that was being undertaken they could see that they were receiving value from their membership even though they couldn’t access the club.”
And for those still intimidated by data, columns, cells and constant questions from members, Heath has no doubt that no one is better positioned to facilitate new membership enquiries than a PGA Professional.
“The job description has changed,” says Heath.
“I have had a couple of people ask me about what I do. Some have said that it’s not the pro’s job but there are a lot of things that we do now that traditionally was not the head professional’s job. “Russell and I agree, all staff need to be flexible and should aim to constantly improve their knowledge base. Golf shop staff are the face of every golf club; membership satisfaction starts with us!
“We found that when it was an administrative role we would hand out the membership pack and tell people to come and see us if you want to join.
“Now it is documented and followed up.
“I’ve got a spreadsheet of some 300-400 people over the last few years that I’ve had contact with, documenting what date that we had a chat, what we spoke about, what I offered and I go through that list touching base every few months or so.
“A number of the members we have picked up post-lockdown came from that list.
“Member retention and acquisition is the responsibility of everyone who works at Box Hill Golf Club but having the pro shop as a first point of contact allows us to create a first impression that is welcoming and to be able to guide them into the category that best suits their needs.”
First came the practice round introduction. Second was the round three confirmation and finally the Sunday coronation as Collin Morikawa was crowed the US PGA Championship winner for 2020.
And Adam Scott saw it coming.
As the Queenslander marked his return to competitive golf with a final round of 2-under 68 to finish tied for 22nd at TPC Harding Park, a day earlier he was given a front-row seat into how golf’s next budding superstar handles himself in the heat of a major.
So impressed was Scott with Morikawa’s third round of 5-under 65 that saw him begin the final day in a tie for fourth – “He played the kind of round that I woke up thinking I’d like to play” – that he offered a prediction that would prove to be marginally wrong… but oh so right.
“I couldn’t be surprised if he goes on tomorrow and shoots another 65,” said Scott.
Morikawa would instead shoot a Sunday 64 to cap a remarkable first 14 months as a professional that has already yielded two PGA TOUR wins, a Major championship triumph and close to $US7 million in earnings.
Jason Day had Aussie hearts racing when he joined a logjam of some seven players at 10-under par with only a handful of holes yet to play but as PGA of America officials scrambled to determine how to fit so many into the one playoff, Morikawa took matters into his own hands.
A chip-in from 55 feet front-right of the 14th green looked like being the memorable moment that would define this year’s first major championship yet the 23-year-old’s exclamation point came at the driveable par-4 16th where his tee shot to seven feet set up eagle and a two-shot win.
Scott was 23 years old when he became the youngest winner of The Players Championship in 2004 and likes the composure he has seen playing 27 holes with Morikawa this week in San Francisco.
“I like his demeanour on the golf course a lot,” Scott said of Morikawa, who joined Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Rory McIlroy as the only 23-year-old winners of the Wanamaker Trophy.
“I could see it in the practice round but again, confirmed to me today. It’s Saturday of a major, and he was in that same kind of demeanour out there. Nothing was really going to phase him and he played a beautiful round of golf.
“It’s easy to say he’s got all the credentials, but he’s kind of proving it.
“If he doesn’t mess around with it and he keeps everything under control, he’s going to do a lot of good in his career.”
Making his first tournament appearance since an opening round of 2-under at The Players back on March 12 prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Scott showed little signs of rust in an opening round of 2-under 68.
He followed that up with successive rounds of even par 70 before a Sunday 68 and an awareness of the areas of his game that need fine-tuning in the weeks to come.
“I’ve driven it well off the tee but my iron play has really been struggling the last two days,” Scott said ahead of his final round where he hit 14 of 18 greens despite finding just four of 14 fairways.
“I can’t hit it inside 30 feet, and that makes it pretty hard to just expect to roll in birdies from 50 feet all day. I’ve done well not to three-putt to be honest.
“I mean, it’s far from horrible, but it’s just not standing up to the test this week. I mean, it’s just not good enough. I’ve missed way too many greens from the fairway and on par 3s, and left myself just scrambling, really.
“Getting back to a competitive rhythm, hopefully that’s it. I think my coach feels like everything is in a good position, but it’s really just about me getting comfortable on the golf course.
“The left-to-right winds certainly have knocked me around a little bit this week, and reacting off some of those swings probably doesn’t help.
“I’ve got a little bit of work to do on my game for sure.”
